The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-12-01
"drink from the water OF the well Of

Bethlehem, which is by the gate.
This Gospel well, like the well spoken
of in the text, is a wei; of Bethlehem
David had known hundreds of wells of
water, but he wanted to drink from that
particular one, and he thought nothing
could slale his thirst like that. And I'M
less your soul and mine can get access to
the fountain open for sin and uncIean-
ness we must die. That fountain is the
well of Bethlehem. 1t was dug in the
night. 1t was dug by the light of Ian
tern-the star that hung down over the
manger. 1t was dug, not at the gate of
Cesar's palaces. not in the park Of Je-
TUsalem Bargain maker. 1t was dug in q
barn. The camels lifted their weary
heads to listen IS the work went on. The
shepherds, unable to sleep, because the
heavens were filled with bands of music,
came down to see the opening Of the
well. The angels Of God, at the first
gush of the living water, dipped their
Chalices of JOY into it, and drank to the
health of earth and heaven as they cried:
''Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace" Sometimes in our modern
barns the water is brought through the
pipes of the city to the very nostrils of
the horses or cattle; but this well in the
Bethlehem barn was not so much for the
beasts that perish as for our race, thirst
slnitten, desert travelled and simeon
struck. Oh, my soul, weary with sin,
stoop down and drink today out of that
Bethlehem well!
''As the hart panteth after the water
brooks, SO my soul panteth after Thee, o
God!" You would get better under
standing Of this amidst the Adirondacks
in summer time. Here comes a swift
footed deer. The hounds are close on
the track: it has leaped chasms and scaled
cliffs; it is tagged out; its eyes are rolling
in death; its tongue is lolling from its foam
ing mouth. Faster the deer, faster the
dogs, until II piunges into Schroon lake,
and the hounds can follow it no farther,
and it puts down its head and mouth
until the nostril is clean submerged in the
cool wave, and / understand it: LAS the
hart panteth for the water brook, SO
panteth my soul after Thee, o Cod"
Oh, bring me water from that well!
Little child, VINO has learned of Jesus ia
the Sabbath school, bring me some of that
living water. Old man, who fifty years
ago didst find the well, bring me some of
that water. Stranger IN a strange land,
who used to hear sung amidst the High-
lands Of Scotland, to the tune of Bonnie
Doom, 1.-The Star. the Star Of Bethle-
hem," bring me some of that water.
Whosoever drinketh of that water shall
never thirst. ooh, that one would give
me drink of the water of the well of
Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
Again, this Gospel well, like the one
spoken of in the text, is a captured well.
David remembered the time when that
good water of Bethlehem was in the pos
session of his ancestors. iia1 father drank
there, his mother drank there. Tie re-
membered how the water tasted when he
was a boy, ana came up there from play.
We never forget the old well we used to
drink out OF when we were boys or girls.
There was something in it that blessed
the lips and refreshed the brow better
than anything we have found since. As
we think of that dear old well. the memo
ries of the past flow into each other like
crystalline drops, sun glinted, and all the
more as we remember that the hands that
used to lay hold the rope and the hearts
that beat against the well curb are still
now. We never get over thess reIninis-
Cences. George p. Morris, the great
song writer Of this country, once said to
me that his song, "Woodman, Spare That
Tree, was sung in a great concert hall.
and the memories Of early life were SO
wrought upon the audience bv that song
that after the singing was done, an aged
man arose in the audience. overwhelmed
with emotion, and said, ''SiF, viii YOU
please to tell me whether the woodman
really spared that tree?" We never for
get the tree under which we played. We
never forget the fountain at which we
drank. Alas for the man who has no
early memories!
David thought of that well, that boy
hood well, and he wanted drink OF it,
but he remembered that the Philistines
had captured it. When those three men
tried to come up to the well in behalf OF
David they saw swords cleaning around
about it. And this is true of this
Gospel well The Philistines have at
times captured ii. When we come to take
a full, old fashioned drink of paadop and
comfort, do not their swords of indigna-
tiOn and sarcasm flash? Why, the skeptics
tell us that we cannot come to that foun-
tain! They sag the water is not fit to
drink anyhow. ''If YOU are really thirsty
now, there is the well of philosophy, there
is the well of art, there is the well Oa
science" They try to substitute, instead
OF our boyhood faith, a modern mixture.
They say great many beautiful things
about the soul, and they try TO feed our
immortal hunger on rose leaves. and mix
Il mint julep OF worldly stimulants, when
nothing will satisfy Us but ga drink of
the water Of the well OF Bethlehem, which
is at the gate" They try to starve us on
husks, when the Fathers banquet is
ready, and the best ring is taken from the
casket, and the sweetest harp is struck
for the music, and the swiftest foot is al
ready lifted for the dance. They patronize
| heaven and abolish hell and try to meas
ure eternity with their hour glass, and
! the throne of the great God with their
! yard stick! | abhof it. | tell you the
| old Gospel well is a captured well.
pray God thai there may be somewhere
in the elect host three anointed men,
with courage enough to go forth in the
strength of the omnipotent God, with the
glittering swords of truth, to hew the way
back again to that old we'll I think the
tide is turning, and that the old Gospel is
to take its place again in the family, and
! in the university, and in the Legislative
hall. Men have tried worldly phlloso-
plies, and have found out that they dc
not give any comfort; and that they droT
ar arctic midnight upon the death pillow
They fail when there is a dead chill
in the house; and when the soul comes
to leap into the fathomless ocean of eter-
nifty, they give to the man not so much
as broken spar TO cling to. Depend
upon it, that well will come into our pos
session again, though it has been cap
tured. II there be not three anointec
men in the Lords host with enough con
secration to do the work, then the sword.
will leap from jehovah S buokler, and the
eternal three will descend-God the Fa
jher, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost
conquering for our dying race the wa.
back again to 1.-THE water of the well Q